Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent)
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296. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the chief executive of Sligo County Council has warned that libraries in the county will be subject to rolling closures until such time as his Department approves the filling of vacant library posts; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that the chief executive has warned that the planned major enhancement of O’Connell Street in Sligo town will not proceed in the new year until such time as his Department approves the filling of vacant technical posts; if his Department has received a formal request from the council to approve the filling of the said vacant library and technical posts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30639/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department works closely with Sligo County Council in relation to the Council’s overall staffing requirements. However, under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, it is the Chief Executive of the Council who is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority. My Department received a staff sanction request from Sligo County Council for two part-time Branch Librarians, two Senior Library Assistants and two Librarians on 3 October 2016 and following consideration of the requests, the posts were approved.

Sligo County Council submitted a staff sanction request, on 14 October 2016, for a number of technical posts, and this request is under consideration.